Inductees

For one of the most respected staff members in Kansas City Royals franchise history, the idea of a career in sports could not have been more inconceivable. Throughout her childhood in Washington, Mo., Linda Smith seemed destined to follow a path focused on her talents in music and dance.

“I find most people prefer the things they are good at doing,” Smith commented. “I never even watched sports.”

Adding to the improbability of her professional odyssey that ultimately spanned 46 years in Major League Baseball was the glaring lack of opportunities for women to gain entry into the overwhelmingly male-dominant American sports industry of the early 1970s.

“Most women expected to eventually wind up married and staying home with the kids,” Smith said. “The world was a very different place.”

That changed for Smith in a heartbeat following her graduation from Missouri State University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in business education. After a short stint working as a secretary for a Kansas City-based engineering firm, she heard of an opportunity that would change the course of her life — and dramatically impact the Royals’ front office — forever.

Missouri’s newest big league franchise was just three years into its existence when it found Smith, who would ultimately serve as a critical cog in the Royals’ front office for a total of 37 years until her retirement in 2017. The rest is Royals history, and it’s why the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame proudly inducted Smith with the Class of 2022.

Starting as a secretary in the club’s scouting and player development department, Smith quickly immersed herself in a new culture and gained the trust of all who encountered her through a relentless work ethic and willingness to help others.

“When you work hard, do your job to the best of your ability, try to work well with others and go the extra mile, people notice,” Smith stated.

Her commitment to quality work and exceptional service paid off, not only for Smith but for the Royals, with whom she filled a number of roles during her initial tenure in Kansas City spanning 1972-92. During that stretch, she was a part of seven playoff appearances, culminating in the Royals’ first World Series title in 1985.

After assisting KC’s scouting and player development, public relations, group sales and marketing departments for what many would consider a full career, Smith moved on to Atlanta in 1992. She helped the Braves capture a pair of National League pennants and a world championship during a seven-year stretch. She also worked for the Texas Rangers for one season, but ultimately decided to return to her Major League roots, accepting the Royals’ offer to fill the role of manager of scouting administration in 2001.

Smith’s second stop in Kansas City proved to be as equally rewarding as her first. She oversaw the day-to-day operations of the organization’s scouting department and played a critical role in the execution of the club’s amateur draft efforts each June. In 2007, Smith was selected to receive the Special Recognition Award by the Greater Midwest Scouts Association for her dedication and commitment to professional baseball.

During a time that included numerous front office transitions and rebuilding processes, Smith remained one of the Royals’ constants. She worked alongside each of the seven general managers in the franchise’s history and is believed to be one of a select few staffers who were a part of all nine of its American League postseasons.

That dedication helped Kansas City make its return to baseball prominence, as the Royals captured another A.L. pennant in 2014. And, of course, there was that big parade in downtown Kansas City following the 2015 season as well.

Not bad for a girl who grew up with little interest in sports.

For Smith, the true satisfaction from her career stems from those who worked within her sphere. She counts numerous Hall of Famers as friends, colleagues and mentors, pointing to the Cooperstown inductions of George Brett and John Schuerholz as two of her career highlights.

To Smith, her first role models — her late parents — are the ones who taught her the important lessons that enabled her to serve the Royals, Braves and Rangers so well during her own Hall of Fame career.

“I learned valuable lessons from every single scout, player development staff member and front office staffer I had the chance to work with,” Smith added. “I am eternally grateful to each and every one of them. I had the time of my life.”